GDT: Game 5 ECQF New Jersey Devils @ Tampa Bay Lightning 3 PM - NBC (TV), OJN (radio)

[Emperoreddy]

I really hope we get to find that out. Somehow finding a #1LD should be priority one on Shero's wishlist this offseason.

Greene’s minutes this year were insane. Hynes sent him into the buzzsaw every night.

Shocked the results weren’t way worse.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

Tampa played like a bunch of twats. I don’t care if they were better, more experienced, etc. They still played like a bunch of f***ing bullies. But hey, it is what it is. NJ is not built to defend this type of play as currently constructed and as CTE pointed out, kudos to them for exploiting this. This garbage will not work nearly as well with Boston, that much is certain. Shit, the whole team is just so grating with all the former rangers.

I’m just really pissed off about Kucherov. You think he’d be pulling that horse shit if a guy like Stevens were patrolling the ice? Not a damn chance. He’d be eating out of a straw I think.

What goes around comes around and in the end this will be a great learning experience for the core. Remember this feeling.

 

[JK3]

Not happy at all with our top line being a total non factor all series, they were completely dominated and out scored. Not happy either with the non response after being punched in the dick every game, just pathetic.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Tampa played like a bunch of twats. I don’t care if they were better, more experienced, etc. They still played like a bunch of ****ing bullies. But hey, it is what it is. NJ is not built to defend this type of play as currently constructed and as CTE pointed out, kudos to them for exploiting this. This garbage will not work nearly as well with Boston, that much is certain. ****, the whole team is just so grating with all the former rangers.

I’m just really pissed off about Kucherov. You think he’d be pulling that horse **** if a guy like Stevens were patrolling the ice? Not a damn chance. He’d be eating out of a straw I think.

What goes around comes around and in the end this will be a great learning experience for the core. Remember this feeling.

Sal or Dano straight up said in the old days none of Tampa’s nonsense would have happened because someone would have taken care of it.

They are spot on

 

[BenedictGomez]

I’m just really pissed off about Kucherov. You think he’d be pulling that horse **** if a guy like Stevens were patrolling the ice? Not a damn chance.

Stevens would have set-up a "play" where he's coming across the ice, and someone like Boyle or Coleman pass the puck right to Kucherov so that he "intercepts" it right when Stevens takes his head off.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It also is what it is. With enforcers gone you need a borderline star player to take that role and get away with it like Marchand or Simmonds.

Wood could grow into that type player.

I don’t like it though. This head hunting garbage should be phased out, but it can’t while the league plays footise with certain teams and players.

 

[HoliksGhost]

If we won this series it would have been a major upset to say the least, that goes without saying.

Hynes had no answer to them shutting down Hall. None. Nada. He didn't try anything new (Bratt is too little too late). By G2 I was calling for him to put Zajac as his center but he never even tried it ? G3 ? G4 ? G5 ? I feel he got out coached in that regard.

They have (3) defenders that are better than our top three - Hedman, MickeyD, Stralman (ok maybe not Stralman but you get my point).

 

[Emperoreddy]

We didn’t really have an answer on the roster for Hall’s line getting shut down.

Zajac was above and beyond this series, but he isn’t the answer in that kind of situation.

Zacha eventually is the one you want to see grow into that, if not him then McLeod. If not McLeod we have to go find a proper 2C outside the organization then.

Zajac was playing his ideal role, which was a checking 3C and he did it extremely well.

 

[Bcap88]

Yep. That's where the series was lost.

If even ONE of those breakaways was converted, Devils go to OT and have a THRILLING OT win.

Then they go back to Tampa and lose to them tonight BUT they go back to Jersey and more than likely force a Game 7.


Oh well.

I know it's been said a lot but I'll say it again : Bratt should've played after Game 1.

I was at game 4 and it was easily the most frustrating game ever. Vasi made some key saves tho.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Hynes had no answer to them shutting down Hall. None. Nada. He didn't try anything new (Bratt is too little too late). By G2 I was calling for him to put Zajac as his center but he never even tried it ? G3 ? G4 ? G5 ? I feel he got out coached in that regard.

This is the lineup I wanted. It's a lineup that was never tried, and I think it's a lineup that could have beaten Tampa.

Hall - Zajac - Bratt
Johansson - Hischier - Palmieri
Gibbons - Zacha - Grabner
Wood - Coleman - Maroon

I intentionally spread the scoring threats to all 4 lines, and I intentionally keep all the Devils PK threats in the lineup, because I was aware Tampa has arguably the best PP in the NHL.

Zajac wins faceoffs on the first line for skilled players like Hall and Bratt.
This puts Nico with Palms and MoJo as a SOLID 2nd line threat.
My 3rd line is comprised of the defensive specialists, but it's a line with speed to be sure.
The 4th line is the checking line with Coleman at Center and leaves Maroon's giant frame and Wood's speed in the lineup.

Notice how do-nothing Stafford and do-nothing Boyle are not playing?

 

[Emperoreddy]

that third line would have been badly exploited though, especially on the road.

 

[devlzfan]

The fact of the matter is Hynes should learn from his mistakes. The statistics I saw regarding Taylor Hall being matched up against certain Lightning players in Game 4 when the DEVILS had last change is pretty telling. Cooper had experience, Hynes didn't. Until you get him the secondary scoring help he needs, you must maximize Hall's ice-time at home against their weaker players.

 

[NJDevs26]

I was at game 4 and it was easily the most frustrating game ever. Vasi made some key saves tho.

Eh...it doesn't beat Game 5 2008, Game 7 2009 or Game 3 2012 first round in terms of sheer annoyance or dissapointment but it came in right behind those games given everything involved.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I don't care about disparity in talent level, the Devils just allowing Tampa to bully them all series - including cheap shots that wound up injuring and taking out our top D-man - without any type of resistance whatsoever was a pathetic display. Really puts a damper on what was a fun season. You can't lack balls like that and expect to do anything no matter what kind of roster you have. It's even more concerning from the standpoint that they said all the right things and played as a team all year up until this point when they had to put their big boy pants on. I certainly hope it's not the kind of team identity that carries on in the next few years because if so this team will never be a contender no matter where they stand talent-wise.

 

[BenedictGomez]

that third line would have been badly exploited though, especially on the road.

How do you figure, Gibbons, Zacha, and Grabner are all solid defensively?

 

[Tundra]

This is the lineup I wanted. It's a lineup that was never tried, and I think it's a lineup that could have beaten Tampa.

Hall - Zajac - Bratt
Johansson - Hischier - Palmieri
Gibbons - Zacha - Grabner
Wood - Coleman - Maroon

I intentionally spread the scoring threats to all 4 lines, and I intentionally keep all the Devils PK threats in the lineup, because I was aware Tampa has arguably the best PP in the NHL.

Zajac wins faceoffs on the first line for skilled players like Hall and Bratt.
This puts Nico with Palms and MoJo as a SOLID 2nd line threat.
My 3rd line is comprised of the defensive specialists, but it's a line with speed to be sure.
The 4th line is the checking line with Coleman at Center and leaves Maroon's giant frame and Wood's speed in the lineup.

Notice how do-nothing Stafford and do-nothing Boyle are not playing?

Zajac would be a boat anchor on the #1 line. He just doesn't play fast enough for those 2. He's ideal for the 3rd line.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Whoever ran the thing at The Rock today did a bad job.

Blurry SD feed.

4 rows of seats reserved for no apparent reason.

Missed the first minute of the 2nd.

Didn't show the handshakes.

No merchandise nor concession sales or promos.

I hate shitting on the team cause I really want these viewing partys to become a thing we do all the time for the playoffs but I was also highly disappointed with the feed. I was expecting it to be crystal clear and amazing and it was anything but.

 

[NJDevs26]

I hate ****ting on the team cause I really want these viewing partys to become a thing we do all the time for the playoffs but I was also highly disappointed with the feed. I was expecting it to be crystal clear and amazing and it was anything but.

I wonder why...they also had SD feed when they were showing the Panthers game on the scoreboard late in the season.

 

[Satans Hockey]

I wonder why...they also had SD feed when they were showing the Panthers game on the scoreboard late in the season.

This feed wasn't as bad as that awful panthers feed but it didn't look like it should have. I don't have the explanation for as why it looked like it did but it was disappointing.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Zajac would be a boat anchor on the #1 line. He just doesn't play fast enough for those 2. He's ideal for the 3rd line.

Zajac would win the faceoffs to get control.

After that? Lets see if Taylor Hall is a true MVP candidate and can generate for himself. Because we all just saw how GREAT putting all our eggs in the 1st-line basket just panned out.

 

[MadDevil]

Zajac was at his best with Coleman and Noesen, so I wouldn't have moved him up to center Hall. I think our lack of RW to play with Hall/Nico is a bigger problem. Palmieri really just doesn't fit with them. Bratt did, but then he went ice cold for the last 30 games. I might have actually tried MoJo at RW when he came back, although the playoffs are kind of a shitty time to experiment.

 

[Bleedred]

**** callahan and his last second empty netters, he cellys like he won the cup

I can't stand him. Ever since he was the Rangers captain and I had to hear how great of a leader he was, on par with Messier, etc. Rangers fans should have been insulted by those comments. It's like comparing Andy Greene to Scott Stevens.

I'm quite enjoying the steep decline that his career (which was never anything special to begin with) has taken. He was always overrated as f***, even when he was still a useful player. I remember the days when it was argued that he was better than Parise.

I want his face to be rearranged, but judging by how he looks now, I bet his face has been rearranged more than a few times already.

 

[Devils Dominion]

This feed wasn't as bad as that awful panthers feed but it didn't look like it should have. I don't have the explanation for as why it looked like it did but it was disappointing.

How bout why 4 center ice rows were "reserved" ?

No one sat in them and then they were opened up in the 2nd. Puzzling.

 

[devilsfan35]

Inability to finish on quality chances is why we are out. It wasn’t experience or better skill advantage of Tampa. We could’ve won but couldn’t finish. Nonetheless solid effort from the boys we will come out stronger next season LGD

 

[MadDevil]

My biggest disappointment of the series was probably Miles Wood. He's a guy who has speed, plays with intensity, and isn't afraid to mix it up, but he brought very little of any of that to this series. I don't know if he's afraid to play his game because of the suspension or what. I thought he'd be the perfect type of player to come up big in the playoffs, but he was completely invisible.